Course Title: Design Studio: Materiality

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Design Studio: Materiality

Credit Points: 24.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

GRAP1033

City Campus

Undergraduate

315H Architecture & Design

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2006,
Sem 1 2008,
Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 2 2013

GRAP1033

City Campus

Undergraduate

320H Architecture & Urban Design

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2014,
Sem 2 2014,
Sem 1 2015,
Sem 2 2015,
Sem 1 2016,
Sem 2 2016,
Sem 1 2017,
Sem 2 2017

GRAP1033

City Campus

Undergraduate

370H Design

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2018,
Sem 2 2018,
Sem 1 2019,
Sem 2 2019,
Sem 1 2020,
Sem 2 2020,
Sem 1 2021,
Sem 2 2021,
Sem 1 2022,
Sem 2 2022,
Sem 1 2023,
Sem 2 2023,
Sem 1 2024,
Sem 2 2024

Course Coordinator: Stuart McFarlane

Course Coordinator Phone: Please email

Course Coordinator Email: stuart.mcfarlane2@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Please email

Course Coordinator Availability: Please email


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Required Prior Study 

You should have satisfactorily GRAP1031/ GRAP2914 User Centred Design Studio AND GRAP1032/ GRAP2915 Design for Sustainability Studio before you commence this course. 

Alternatively, you may be able to demonstrate the required skills and knowledge before you start this course.  

Contact your course coordinator if you think you may be eligible for recognition of prior learning.  


Course Description

Design Studio: Materiality focuses your learning on initiating and undertaking a complex individual and / or team-based design inquiry. With a particular emphasis on exploring and mastering material focussed design concerns you will work independently and in collaboration with fellow students in a setting that encourages peer-to-peer learning through shared experience. You will undertake design and research within a thematically defined and industry-linked proposition for how design might respond to a series of social, technical and methodological issues and opportunities. You will apply specialised methods of design development, iteration, presentation and prototyping to realise sophisticated design outcomes.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

You will be assessed on your development of the following Program Learning Outcomes:

  • Apply analytical, critical, creative and strategic thinking to industrial design problems and research within complex and unfamiliar contexts and concerns.
  • Articulate complex design ideas to diverse audiences through an advanced and adaptable repertoire of communication strategies and technologies.
  • Generate innovative approaches to design problems and solutions, with a criticality and openness to the perspectives and needs of others in a situation.
  • Advocate through design practice the improvement of the conditions and wellbeing of people, cultural practices and environments.
  • Initiate, plan, manage and execute research and design projects with independence and in an objective and ethical manner.
  • Reflect on own learning and the efficacy of design decisions made, adapting to needs and issues as they arise, and continuously seeking improvement.

 


Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

1) Research, identify, and respond through design practice to complex design problems via creative and sophisticated design outcomes.

2) Articulate your design ideas to a professional standard though a range of mediums including drawings, software, prototypes, presentations and reports.

3) Critically analyse the roles of design, and reflect on the implications on your own activities as a designer.

4) Demonstrate creative and strategic design thinking through a rapid acquisition and application of specialist knowledge and skills and the management of design studio projects in collaboration with peers and other stakeholders.

 


Overview of Learning Activities

Delivered in a design studio format, you will actively learn through a variety of face-to-face, self-directed and online activities. This course immerses you into specific aspects of the discipline, its methods and practices through doing design projects. These projects involve a range of planned learning experiences including: individual and group problem solving; sketch ideation and the iterative development of design concepts; prototyping for the purpose of further refining propositions; realising material design artefacts within workshop environments: and, presenting and reporting on individual and collective learning. The design studio format gives you the opportunity to explore and apply social, contextual , technical, and theoretical design issues in depth and through a variety of approaches, principles, real and simulated situations, and practical constraints.


Overview of Learning Resources

 

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.   To effectively participate in coursework, either on or away from campus, you are advised to obtain (as a minimum) the following:   - Drawing Supplies including visual diaries, pens, pencils, markers and ancillary products and consumables. - Personal Protective Equipment including protective eye-wear, ear plugs, a dust jacket, and closed toe safety shoes - Prototyping Supplies including a 150mm steel ruler, a high quality craft knife and ancillary products, materials and consumables. - Design and Documentation Equipment including a personal computer of an appropriate specification, course specific software, a digital camera and a mobile phone.

When on campus you will have access to and will utilise the School of Design workshop facilities, specialist computer labs and software, and 2D and 3D printing facilities.

Course specific resources such as readings, reference lists, access to specialist software, video demonstrations and class notes will be provided online.

There are services available to support your learning through the University Library. The Library provides guides on academic referencing and subject specialist help as well as a range of study support services. For further information, please visit the Library page on the RMIT University website and the myRMIT student portal.


Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes.   Assessment Tasks   Assessment Task 1: Design Project Immersion, 10% CLO1 Assessment Task 2: Design Development, 40% CLO1, CLO3, CLO4 Assessment Task 3: Design Project Realisation, 50%, CLO1, CLO2, CLO3, CLO4   Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.   If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies, procedures and instructions.